University Research Council (URC)
The University Research Council (URC), administered by the Vice President for Research, is the governance body for research operations and strategies at Penn State. The URC members serve as research liaisons for their academic areas including University Park, the commonwealth campuses and the College of Medicine at Hershey.
The members include Associate Deans of Research, Institute Directors, Director of Federal Relations, Assistant Vice Presidents, Fellows, and other PSU delegates appointed by the Vice President for Research that are broadly representative of the research-oriented focus among the Penn State community. Meetings occur eight times throughout the calendar year.
For questions regarding URC meetings or membership, please contact ovpr@psu.edu. For a printer-friendly table of URC members, please click here.
URC Members
Andrew August
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs Abington Campus
119 Sutherland Building
215-881-7300
David Scott Bennett
Associate Dean of Research, College of the Liberal Arts
105 Sparks Building
814-865-1439
Sarah Bronson
Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Research, College of Medicine
H166 Physiology
717-531-5194
Kathryn Drager
Associate Dean for Research, College of Health & Human Development
325 Health & Human Development Building
814-863-2426
Karen Estlund
Associate Dean for Technology and Digital Strategies, University Libraries
510 Paterno Library
814-863-5451
Susannah Gal
Associate Dean of Research and Outreach, Penn State Harrisburg
C114B Olmstead Building
717-948-6302
John R. Hellmann
URC Chairman (2018-2019);
Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Research, College of Earth & Mineral Sciences
248D Deike Building
814-865-7659
Steven Huddart
Senior Associate Dean, Smeal College of Business
210 Business Building
814-865-0041
Janet Hughes
Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (RSCA) Chair, Faculty Senate;
Librarian, Biological Sciences
408 Paterno Library
814-865-3705
Judy Hupcey
Associate Dean of Graduate Education and Research,College of Nursing
Hershey Medical Center
717-531-4160
Greg Kelly
Senior Associate Dean of Research, Outreach and Technology
241 Chambers Building
814-863-1489
Ivor Knight
Associate Dean for Research, Erie-Behrand Campus
103 Glehnhill Farmhouse
814-898-6160
George A. Lesieutre
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, College of Engineering
102 B Hammond Building
814-863-0103
Hong Ma
Associate Dean for Research, Eberly College of Science
517 Thomas Building
814-863-0555
James Marden
Professor of Biology, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
201 Life Sciences Building
814-863-1384
Jud Mathews
Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships
Lewis Katz Building
814-865-4285
Susan M. McHale
Directory, Social Science Research Institute
114 Henderson Building
814-865-1528
Prasenjit Mitra
Associate Dean for Research, Information Sciences and Technology
E397G Westgate Building
814-865-2379
Christopher Rahn
Associate Dean for Innovation, College of Engineering
150A Hammond Building
814-865-6237
Clive Randall
Director, Materials Research Institute
N-221 Millennium Science
814-863-1328
Thomas Richard
Director, Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment
1E Land & Water Research Building
814-865-1569
Ford Risley
Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Education, College of Communications
211 Carnegie Building
814-865-2181
Paul Shrivastava
Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Sustainability Institute
103 Land & Water Research Building
814-865-4415
Paul E. Sullivan
Executive Director, Applied Research Lab
1000A ARL Building
814-865-6343
Gary A. Thompson
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, College of Agricultural Sciences
217 Agriculture Administration Building
814-865-3136
Harl Tolbert
Assistant Vice President for Research and Director, Office of Technology Management
113 Technology Center
814-865-6277
Sheila L. Vrana
Associate Dean for Research, College of Medicine
H138 Hershey Medical Center
7171-531-8495
Amanda Wintersteen
Director of Federal Relations, Office of Government and Community Relations
117 Old Main
814-865-5431
Invited Attendees
Pallavi Eswara
Director of Office of Postdoctoral Affairs
304 Old Main, University Park, PA
814-865-2626
Lara Fowler
Assistant Director, Institutes of Energy and the Environment; Senior Lecturer, Penn State Law
Lewis Katz Building
Jenifer Hoffman (per Judy Hupcey)
Director for Research Administration
201 Nursing Sciences Building
814-865-9337
Ruth Weber
Assistant Vice President for Research Operations
304 Old Main
814-876-1463
Ex-Officio Members
Jeffery B. Fortin
Associate Vice President for Research & Director of Industrial Partnerships
304 Old Main
814-865-6042
John Hanold
Associate Vice President for Research, Director, Office of Sponsored Programs
110 Technology Center
814-863-0768
Michelle Hutnik
Director of Research Analytics and Communications
304 Old Main
814-863-6311
Mary J. Kennett
Director, Animal Resource Program
101 Centralized Biological Lab
814-865-1495
Greg Madden
Senior Advisor for Research Computing and Cyberinfrastructure
1G Old Main
814-865-2536
Shashank Priya
Associate Vice President for Research, Director of Strategic Initiatives
304 Old Main
814-863-9657
James "Jim" Taylor
Manager, Office of Research Information Systems
105 The 330 Building
814-865-0681
Candice Yekel
Associate V.P. for Research, Director, Office of Research Protections
Suite 250, The 330 Building
814-865-1775